Through the Storm
by Chrys-DASL
Summary: A storm of epic proportions is building in the Midwest and tearing eastward. As Lakewood's third grade class heads to camp, this epic monstrosity comes barreling towards their home. Can anyone survive? Piece for my Disasters series. R&R.
1. Chapter 1

THROUGH THE STORM

A/N: To start off, I'd like to say that this started as a hand-written one-shot, and I haven't decided if I'll post it or not. I wanted to fix it because I wrote it while irritated so it was way too short. Doing it like this, rewriting it and fixing it dramatically, will make for a much better ending…well, as best as it can get in an apocalyptic piece. Because yes, this is another piece for my Disasters series. I hope you guys like it.

CHAPTER ONE

Mr. Ratburn's class met up behind the school's gym, backpacks loaded with supplies for their annual retreat. Parents and fundraising had paid for the excursion, which would take many students farther than they'd ever gone—into Canada to a resort straight from Nigel's childhood. He'd gone plenty of times as a summer camp, but this was a late spring trip to celebrate the coming end to the school year. Yes, that meant extra work beyond just planning a trip because the students needed passports, but everyone was willing.

Accompanying the students would be Miss Sweetwater and Mr. Ratburn, as Miss Sweetwater's class would be accompanying them as well. Other adults included Principal Haney, Jonathon Weeks (Elwood City Schools Board of Education member), Mr. Morris, and a bus driver provided by the charter bus company (name unknown). The trip would take a week—two days of driving, five days of educational fun—and the students were eager to get going.

As they were separated into cabin groups, the bus's compartments began to fill with backpacks and duffel bags. Lingering parents with teary eyes waved as their children boarded the bus in these small groups, but none of them left, not yet. They hated to see their kids leave at all, and for many it was a first time experience. And for some, like Bitzi Baxter, this happened every summer as she relinquished her son into his father's loving care…yet she was still crying more than everyone, and eyes turned in her direction as many wondered silently if she was alright.

Finally the last group was aboard the bus. Faces were pressed to windows as hands waved. Slowly the bus departed as the parents waved back, well, most of them, as Bitzi Baxter was kneeling on the pavement sobbing like a lost child. They hated to see their kids go because of their parental instincts screaming that this would be the last time they ever saw their children despite rationality saying the statistics were against such a fate.

The parents slowly made their ways back home and into their daily routine as their kids moved farther and farther away. They sang songs and played games under Miss Sweetwater's guidance, none of them noticing the New England countryside changing over the course of hours. Food was served in the form of bagged lunches from two huge cardboard boxes, lunches that were prepared personally by Mrs. MacGrady. She'd put uplifting Post-Its in each one, and students traded them around like fortune cookie phrases, happy with her effort. The hours ticked by slowly for some but quickly for others, though many didn't notice how far they'd gone until the bus came to a slow spot at sunset in a circular driveway surrounded by cabins. Behind them was thick Canadian forest.

They had arrived.

Camp counsellors arrived to greet them, and the camp director led everyone to the mess hall, the kids at least. The adults remained behind with some other helpers, loading the bags onto carts and rolling them up mulch-covered pathways to designated cabins. Miss Sweetwater and Mr. Ratburn worked to get students' bags where they expected them to sleep—Arthur and Buster would share a bunk, as would Muffy and Francine, Maria and Jenna, and so forth. After some critical thinking they realized this was probably a fruitless effort—Muffy would likely complain so much that she'd end up in Miss Sweetwater's designated bed, a private full-sized mattress with its own private bathroom, and the boys might get into fights that led to them sleeping in sleeping bags outside just to keep them spread apart from each other.

So the bags were eventually piled in a corner near the bathrooms, and the adults made their way into the mess hall for a much-needed hot meal. The menu was kid-friendly chicken nuggets, fries, and juices (grape and apple for most, orange for a few), and apple slices were included as well for a fruit serving. The adults lapped it up as happily as the children, but they were all ready to call it a night.

Soon they would, and things would begin in this miniature world of bliss. Students would become one with nature, following a strict schedule from six a.m. until as late as nine p.m. for an astronomy session. The kids would forget Elwood City as they were invited to walk on a lake shore looking at rocks and bugs, hike through woods looking at trees and bugs, and dig through sandboxes to get puzzle pieces (and some stray bugs of course) for a group puzzle event.

Things were blissful, and none could know that this would be the last time they would live such carefree lives.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO

The storm was epic. That was the only way any newscaster could describe it, even the licensed meteorologists on The Weather Channel. A convergence of systems, three lows in total, meeting in the Midwest. The northern-most storms would ravage Minnesota and the upper peninsula of Michigan, while the lowest reaches would flood central Mexico, ravaging already poor neighborhoods and killing thousands. Such a thing happened in winter, systems stacking across the continent and reaching far south. But that was usually rain or snow, or a combination of both, not severe storms with more power than they had ever seen before.

Scientists were struggling to explain it, namely because data could only tell you so much in the moment in the weather world. All they had to go on were temperature spreadsheets showing that most of the country, despite it being early April, was warm. Texas had already seen upper 80's, while Atlanta and the rest of the southeast enjoyed high 70's. The northeast ranged between the low to mid-70's, and even southern Canada was enjoying above average temperatures.

But the Midwest had seen temperatures soar. Texas was almost 90, and most of the central U.S. was seeing the residual effect. As far north as the Dakota's, the Midwest saw mid to upper 80's, record-setting heat.

This was the only explanation. Higher temperatures meant more power for storms, namely because northern Canada was still frigid. Blizzards still formed off the Pacific in Alaska and swept eastward, blanketing the area with snow and ice. If those systems decide to pull south, or if this fragile balance was offset by other powerful systems, hot and cold would meet in an explosive event.

That was their explanation: A system from the Pacific came onshore between Washington State and Oregon and began moving east as another system from further south moved across southern California and the desert states. That system formed the southern cells, producing some of the most powerful cells the weather world had ever seen. The Washington/Oregon system went from Oklahoma up to southern-most Canada, pounding the Midwest.

People were terrified across the country. If you were in the event, you were fighting for your life. Hail stones the size of grapefruits fell in one Colorado town, and a Texas town saw a waterspout form in a flooded Dallas suburb. In normal conditions it would've been a tornado, but the area was too flooded, not that this helped in the damage. Homeowners who were already struggling to find higher ground found themselves faced with whipped-around debris, and entire families on rooftops were killed as the tornado/waterspout threw debris onto them or ripped them from their dry spot, skipping them like stones across the flooded landscape.

The people east of the event were glued to their televisions, none more so than the parents in Elwood City. They knew the kids were safe. Maps were brought out and posted online showing where the camp was relative to the most northern cells. While they might get residual rain showers, that was nothing compared to what was headed into Elwood City. City leaders were growing worried, and as the storm approached, the city decided it was in their best interest to shut down everything—schools, government offices, and any private business. Residents were free to make their own choices, but they were greatly encouraged to seek out shelter elsewhere if they could, escaping north. Otherwise they needed to start forming an emergency plan. The storm was coming fast, so decisions needed to be made.

Bitzi refused to leave. Her condo had an upper floor to avoid flooding and a strong storm cellar for tornadoes and other powerful events. She could liveblog the event, which would help take her mind off of Buster. But deep down she made the decision for him: Why should she try to go somewhere else to escape the storm? What if he couldn't find her? She couldn't do that to him, so she stayed.

The Crosswire's took no chances and booked a private jet to take them north to Nova Scotia. They invited the Frensky's along on Francine's behalf, knowing Francine would want her parents to do whatever they could to stay safe. After a blistering argument, Catherine was finally able to convince her parents to just do whatever they wanted them to do. So they packed as much as they could and took a limo to the Crosswire mansion, where Bailey loaded their things into a large SUV and took them to Elwood City's private airfield, where a plane picked up both families and Bailey and flew them to safety.

The Read's decided it was in their best interest to head out to Grandma Thora's house to stay with her, not to be any safer but to be together. They felt they might fare better in the country anyhow away from all that asphalt and carved streets that would just make the water rise faster. Besides, Thora had a storm shelter where they did not, so it was an obvious choice. They even took Mrs. MacGrady with them, picking her up before hitting the highway to Thora's home.

The Morgan's, Power's, and Barnes' saw no reason to leave. Unlike Bitzi they weren't clinging to their child and their impending return almost a week from now. They just saw no point in going somewhere else where they probably wouldn't be any safer. Besides, Mrs. Powers needed to barricade the business, boarding up windows and piling sandbags around the doors to keep water out and the glass from breaking. Her husband would prepare the house, and together they would make it through.

Other families decided just to leave. Like many others, they hit the highway heading north, not really knowing where they were going. But going south meant certain death in floods, tornadoes, and other violent weather events. If they went north, they at least had a chance…if they wouldn't be stuck in traffic when the worst of it hit.


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE

The mood of the camp was summed up in one word: Bummed. The kids were annoyed to wake up and discover their one and only late-night astronomy lesson was canceled due to impending rain. Kids grumbled and mumbled about not ever having any fun, so the adults met during activities to decide what to do.

"I think we should let them play in the rain right here in the center of camp. We could turn on the lights and have them go out in their swim clothes. If lightning comes, we'll just call it a night. A little rain shouldn't stop us," Principal Haney suggested.

"We wouldn't have to participate, would we?" School Board member Jonathon Weeks asked with a scowl.

Miss Sweetwater laughed, "A little water won't hurt you either, Jon. I saw we go for it, and I would love to join them," she said, turning to Mr. Ratburn, "Nigel, you're the last vote. There's two for, one against. What's your call?"

"I see no problem with it either," he said, surprised at himself. He was actually looking forward to donning his swim outfit, a white tank top and green Bermuda shorts.

The counselors liked the idea and decided to tell the kids over lunch. They helped guide the students through their last activities, then they moved everyone into the mess hall to serve food. Once everyone had a hot dog, bag of chips (plain, barbecue, and sour cream and onion, kid's choice), and a piece of fruit (apple or banana, oranges for the lucky few at the front of the line), they took their seats at their designated tables. Juice pouches were passed around from counselors, who were instructed to look as solemn as possible.

Once lunch was over, they asked the students to sit in front of a small stage. They were going to have a story hour before bed at this spot because of the rain, so the kids weren't eager to sit here. Even Brain grumbled as he sat cross-legged between Alex and Arthur. He wanted to have fun and learn at the same time, and astronomy would've done that. Now the rain cancelled that with no plans to make up the evening. He was disappointed…and he was the only child to remain disappointed after the announcement was made.

As soon as the news came from the director's lips, cheers sounded. They were actually being allowed to play in the rain, to go outside, at night, and play as the fat drops fell from the sky and soaked everything. It was going to be cold, and students were encouraged to stay inside if they felt they'd get sick, an offer no one would take, because even Brain had to admit that there was some joy to be had playing in the rain.


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER FOUR

As rain began to fall in Elwood City, there wasn't a single smile on anyone's faces. Meteorologists, red-faced and breathless, were shouting on every channel for people to take cover and prepare for the worst. Nothing like this system had ever been seen before, and they wanted to make sure everyone, even aliens on nearby planets, knew that this was the most horrible thing they'd ever seen. Even geologists, scientists of rocks, were brought in on some networks to explain how no evidence had even been found of an event like this.

The real evidence was located in towns like Omaha, Nebraska. A tornado had hit there from a supercell spawned in the center of the giant line of storms reaching from Canada to Mexico. There was no warning, as radars could not penetrate the thick cloud cover and rain to see the storm coming. Residents knew when it hit because there was no mistaking it. It was the most powerful tornado ever recorded. Meteorologists were stunned as they realized the horrific truth: If the Fujita scale hadn't been enhanced, the storm would've been the first ever F-6 tornado, and the difference between an EF-5 and an EF-6 was unmistakable.

As jets from the United States Airforce flew over to survey the damage, they began to doubt their GPS systems. The storm system was long gone, otherwise they wouldn't be able to fly, but they had no idea what they were looking at. That's because a chunk of northern Omaha was entirely gone, blown to oblivion, and some buildings no longer had a foundation to speak of. There was no debris field either like regular tornados. Even that was gone.

Reports of a toilet launching into a lawn in Kentucky confirmed their suspicions: The debris was launched into the atmosphere by the powerful tornado, and now it would rain down east of the epicenter as the storm weakened enough to drop the items, not that the system was weakening.

As news of the Omaha disaster spread, other stories of powerful EF-5 tornados and hailstones the size of grapefruits came from affected towns. Many were damaged by both high winds, hailstones, and heavy flooded, but people were surviving as best as they could. Some floated along on the shells of houses, trying to avoid powerlines that dangled in the water, crackling loudly as the electricity within them made contact with the water. Hundreds were destined to die this way, though many of the bodies hit by the current were already doomed to drowning in the strong currents. Many more were hit by debris as buildings crumbled. The survivors were doing just that, surviving, but they warned people back east to pray. Even an atheist dropped to their knees in the middle of Oklahoma City praying to a god they didn't know they believed in. Why? Somehow her home was spared while everything else was gone, flooded or blown off the map, and she was too grateful not to believe that Something or Someone had saved her.

Elwood City would obey the warnings. The Read's were out of the city with Thora, enjoying games of checkers and stories of days gone by from Thora and Mrs. MacGrady. The Frensky's were sipping champagne with the Crosswire's on a private beach next to a huge private villa, far from the devastating storms. It was everyone else that needed to be careful, and careful they would attempt to be. Bitzi moved to her bedroom, hoping to avoid the flood that was sure to follow the onslaught of giant raindrops pounding the pavement outside. She had to survive the storm so she could see her baby again.


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER FIVE

The students thought the rain was just rain. Fat drops began falling during dinner, and after a thirty minute wait for darkness to fully arrive, the students jumped around outside, using muddy areas as Slip 'n' Slides and screaming with joy. The adults stayed out in the rain, enjoying the coolness. Even they didn't realize there was more to this storm, more to these sudden rains.

Around ten, the counsellors wrangled the kids, and after everyone changed and took showers, the kids found themselves sleeping soundly, the sound of rain lulling them into dreams about running around in the muck, slipping around and throwing mud balls at each other. The adults slept soundly as well, the long day helping them sleep.

But when they woke up the next morning, they could feel the change. The air was frigid, so cold that frost had formed in some grassy areas. The kids were shocked, but not as much as the adults. They had never seen it get so cold so fast without thunderstorms, and even though simple records confirmed these were perfectly normal temperatures for the area on this date, they had a hard time believing the situation.

This unsettled several people (namely the adults), and Brain found himself desperate to use a computer or a smartphone to look online. Something else must be going on south of there to pull the energy away, energy that should have created storms. Brain needed to see, but this was a camp facing a strict disconnect. Even the adults traveling with the group were forced to leave their phones behind, even the school board member Jonathon Weeks. The only computer at the camp wasn't even connected to the internet. If you wanted information, you had to go to town or receive a call through the camp's one and only phone.

The students didn't have access to this phone, but around lunchtime, Mr. Ratburn decided to use his privilege to make a call home. He wanted to call Mrs. Turner from the library to see how the week's puppet show had gone, but he found the line unavailable. He then tried calling his backup puppeteer, but his line was also unavailable.

Mr. Ratburn returned to the mess hall and sat among the adults. After waiting patiently for Principal Haney to finish telling Miss Sweetwater a story, he passed a legal pad and pen around the table:

"I want everyone to write down all the numbers from Elwood City you can think of. I've already added mine to the list," Mr. Ratburn said, pausing as Principal Haney began following his order without questioning. The others, especially the camp's director, was confused. Mr. Ratburn explained, "I just tried calling the library and a friend of mine. Both of them were unreachable, and I received a strange message in return. I want to see how many other numbers have the same problem."

"There might be a problem in the lines. That happens a lot this time of year," the camp's director suggested.

"No, I think there's something going on. I was listening to Alan Powers this morning express his concern. We should've had storms last night to justify this temperature drop according to him, and I agree. Something must have happened south of here, and if Nigel can't get in contact with anyone in Elwood City, we'll know things are troubling," Principal Haney said.

Jonathon Weeks cleared his throat as the legal pad reached him, "I think one of us should take a vehicle into town to check the internet for news. I'd hate to travel home if we could be going into a storm zone."

"You're right," the camp director agreed. "Now that you've explained it, you're right about the storms. If something bad happened to your city, you can stay as long as you need to so these kids aren't exposed to it. I'll send one of you into town, and if we need to, we'll pick up supplies. We'll also go into town regularly to get more news if we have to. There's no harm in being cautious."

When Mr. Ratburn's list was complete, he moved back into the office to begin making the calls. The rest of the adults went with the students to their afternoon activities, but the camp director returned and led Mr. Ratburn into town. They would get news there, and despite knowing ahead of time that something had likely happened, they would still be floored when they learned the truth.


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER SIX

The rain refused to stop. Hour after hour throughout the night, fat drops pounded the earth as rumbles of thunder so loud they shook your internal organs ravaged the town. Bitzi liveblogged the event until eleven-thirty when a flash of lightning hit outside, knocking out their power instantly. The thunder that followed reminded Bitzi of books she'd read about Hiroshima, and she wondered if that was the same noise they'd heard before everything disappeared.

But the silence from missing power allowed her to hear the water rushing into her downstairs. All over Elwood City, the water was rising, but she knew that was the least of her problems. As she used a flashlight to make her way to the window, she realized why she also heard cries: The lightning that took their power also set a building on fire, and the blaze was spreading quickly. The units were across from hers, but Bitzi knew that was just as dangerous. Wind whipped the flames, and while rain drove into the building, the wind gave the fire more fuel, enough to keep the blaze strong enough to spread.

As she realized there were two things happening at once, two disasters that could easily end her, people a few neighborhoods over had the same realization. Mrs. Morgan sat up in bed, her ears picking up on a rumbling noise that seemed to continue, as well as overpower any rumble of thunder that came up. She woke up her husband, and he agreed: Something was causing that sound.

Suddenly the power flashed out, flickering just once before going out entirely. Normally they would lose power, regain it momentarily, then lose it again, but this was sudden, as if the cords were literally being ripped from their poles, taking their power with them.

Mr. Morgan rushed downstairs as his wife followed closely behind. They, like many others who'd noticed the sound, were trying to get to the lowest point in their houses.

But there was a problem: The water from outside was rising enough to invade their house, and as they neared the bottom of the steps, the adults realized they were wet. Water had filled their living room, kitchen, den, and the first-level bathroom where they wanted to take shelter. It was too dangerous to go down, so they had to go back up.

The Morgan's barely made it back into the bathroom when the tornado hit. Like a bomb going off, the EF-4 tornado sucked the house up, shattering it into a million little pieces. The Morgan's tried to hang on to each other, but Mrs. Morgan was ripped away, and finally Mr. Morgan, despite his death grip on the bathtub.

The family swirled around among the debris. Things hit them, some large and others small. Mrs. Morgan became aware of other people around her, not just her husband. Their entire neighborhood had been hit, and plenty of others had been pulled from their houses by the storm because they had nothing to hang on to that wasn't at risk of flooding.

The tornado carried them, but one by one they were slung out. Mr. Morgan was the first out, the tornado flinging him into a tree, killing him instantly. Mrs. Morgan was next, her body slamming onto the flooded ground. She was dazed and unable to keep herself afloat, causing her to drown. Others were flung, and they faced a similar fate. Of the twenty people swept up into the swirling column of death, only two landed safely, though they were both severely injured.

Others died crushed in their homes or pushed into the rising water. Transformers, still charged with electricity from Elwood City Utilities, fell into the floodwaters, electrocuting and killing fifty people in one neighborhood. In places outside the tornado's path, as in Bitzi's neighborhood, fires set by lightning burned people into the flood waters. If you weren't electrocuted, drowned, crushed by falling debris, or forced to stay in an area where you'd suffocate in the smoke or burn alive, you were left in the rising waters to fend for yourself.

Elwood City was being ravaged one piece at a time, and the devastation wasn't even over.


	7. Chapter 7

CHAPTER SEVEN

Mr. Ratburn wasn't sure how to break the news, so he just stood on the stage in the mess hall and told the kids like it was. Elwood City and the rest of the United States was being hit by a horrible weather system that had claimed the lives of over two million people in the Midwest. Scientists had never seen anything like it, and while some were able to evacuate out east, most were stuck, not realizing how bad things were going to be until they were happening.

By now, surviving spotters had confirmed Elwood City's place in the destruction. Like so many other cities, they'd been hit with multiple disasters at once—gas explosions, mass electrocutions, fires, and two tornadoes, both of them powerful—and hundreds were presumed dead, possibly thousands.

The kids were distraught. They wanted to call home, but Mr. Ratburn assured them all that they'd tried. He left out that he'd gotten hold of two sets of parents, the Crosswire's and Frensky's, because they were vacationing in Nova Scotia. He knew that would cause more problems if they felt someone's parents were better off than theirs.

Camp activities continued as usual, but no one could function. Though Mr. Ratburn refused to admit that everyone was dead to the group directly, some of the smarter kids were figuring it out. Not only was their town probably gone, but their parents were most likely dead. They had no idea what to even think about this. Most of them had never even lost a family member or been through a natural disaster. They had no idea what to think.

The adults realized this and debated the issue. Should they maintain innocence, keeping them all there as long as needed and as distracted as needed to make it easier? Or should they haul in a television, connect it to a satellite provider and show them the devastation for themselves? Principal Haney was tempted to show them (once he discovered the camp director actually had DishNetwork at his private cabin, and he had enough leftover cable to bring the signal to the main camp), but the others refused.

"We can't traumatize them," Mr. Ratburn said firmly, and Miss Sweetwater agreed fully. Jonathon Weeks agreed, knowing the parents he represented would want them to be as gentle as possible letting them know their people were gone.

"I just wanted to show them what it was like, but I want to know myself," Principal Haney admitted.

Mr. Ratburn shook his head, "We stayed downtown watching CNN for two hours and saw nothing we needed to see. Omaha is gone, Atlanta is missing its northern half and its southern half is under water, and worst of all, I did get in contact with the Crosswire's. They're in Nova Scotia."

"Why not tell her?" Principal Haney asked with a shocked tone.

The camp director shook his head, "That is not a good idea. It would start a rivalry, even though Francine's parents are with her. Nigel explained it to me, and I agree with him. Give them that joy. We can possibly arrange for the two to leave secretly, but the others will stay here. I've ordered supplies, but it'll be free. I couldn't possibly charge you all to stay here when you can't go home."

"Have we lost everything as well?" Miss Sweetwater questioned.

Reluctantly, Mr. Ratburn nodded, "I'm afraid so. If it's not burned or blown away from a tornado, it's underwater. Your belongings are gone, as are any family. The system started just south of here and ended in the Gulf of Mexico. They're being hammered, but that saved us. The rest of the U.S. absorbed the storm's power, keeping us from the dangerous storms. We should be grateful—"

"But survivor's guilt is enough to turn anyone's stomach. You're right. We shouldn't tell the girls," Principal Haney murmured.

So it was agreed. The adults could go to the director's cabin at any time to see the disaster for themselves. But the students would be told nothing, and camp activities would continue as long as they needed to. While an effort would be made to get the girls home to the Crosswire's villa, the others would stay indefinitely, namely because they had no other choice.


	8. Chapter 8

CHAPTER EIGHT

There were few survivors in Elwood City, and what few there were faced grave danger. Once electricity stopped flowing, they were safe from electrocution, fires, and explosions…from that source. Gas leaks were everywhere from destroyed buildings, the only blessing being the flooding that covered the city. Some areas were too deep for rescuers to measure, not that there were many people to pick up.

There were fifty total, all of them found on rooftops above their flooded homes in areas not hit by tornadoes. They were cold, hungry, and some were injured during their escapes. Rescuers ferried them west, moving others from other areas as they did. Some towns fared better than others, but the only way to get people away from the floods was to take them west to Colorado, where the storm started but didn't hit directly.

People wondered why they weren't being taken to the mountains, and in places New York City, people wondered why they couldn't stay in the high rises. As for the mountains, the heavy rains had caused major erosions and rock slides. Entire communities were covered in rock, much like what often happened in third world countries or out west in California—the ground couldn't handle the barrage of rain, so it gave way. As for the high rises in major cities, many were damaged and deemed uninhabitable by various groups. They had no choice but to head to Colorado and see what they could do there.

The only survivor found in Elwood City with a child in came was Mrs. Powers. She and her husband were like many others, trapped in their homes as the flooding began. She had just made it on the roof with her husband when a higher wave took him down. She clung to the chimney for hours, most of her lower body in the water. She hoped her husband would come back up, but he never did. None of the other parents did either.

Mrs. Powers sent a message to an emergency official, who agreed to do what he could to get the message northward. There were no forms of communication left in many areas—cellphone towers were damaged beyond repair, there were no telephone lines for landline calls, and there was no electricity to operate computers or internet servers. Satellite phones were proving to be unreliable as well, and NASA was saying that some of the satellites orbiting Earth were damaged by the storms, some of which towered over the planet like alien invaders.

As Mrs. Powers made her way westward and her messengers moved northward, people outside of the storm zone were watching the events unfold. Millions dead, thousands forced to be rescued. It felt unreal to people until NASA was able to release photographs from the crew of the International Space Station. Never before had such a weather event been witnessed, but the evidence was unmistakable.

Now the arguments would begin—had this happened before? Was climate change to blame? Did humans have a hand in their own disastrous fate? These were the arguments of the unaffected. All of the people running for their lives—rather, sailing for their lives on various rescue ships—could care less what caused the storm. They just wanted to survive.

A/N: I'm aware of the flames from that rather immature user. Thanks for the numbers yo:) You've been blocked and reported, but thanks for the kind and lovely amazing reviews. Oh and there were 3 more chapters as Chapter 7 wasn't the last one so your last review with your so many f-bombs is technically invalid because you don't know how it ends:D Don't bother reviewing the rest though because you been blocked and I will delete your guest reviews, because Medication, you need to get back on it. But for loyal readers who aren't filled with skillfully arranged alphabet soup for sailors, you get 2 more chapters after this one:) Thanks to my amazing readers and true fans and I hope you enjoy the rest.

Also I just realized I never posted my alien invasion piece from my Disasters series. Preview: When Buster isn't hungry at lunch and Brain actually agrees with him on the alien thing, the kids know it's about to get real. When the aliens invade, will it be a dream come true or a nightmare? Check out "Invasion" to find out, and again, thanks;)


	9. Chapter 9

CHAPTER NINE

The camp's morale was kept high by various events. Kids went on hiking adventures, created plays, created masterpieces with various arts and crafts, and ate food, some of which they caught themselves. The world around them might have its problems, but in camp, the adults worked hard to make sure the kids were untouched.

Once the temperature rose, camp counsellors took the kids back to the lake for beach activities. Francine and Muffy had both caught a cold the previous day and stayed behind, exactly as the camp wanted. With them fully separated from the group, they could finally tell the girls what they knew. Mr. Ratburn was charged with telling them the news:

"Muffy? Francine? May I speak with you about an important matter?" Mr. Ratburn asked. The girls sat up in their bunks and squinted at their teacher, wondering what was so important. Then he told them, "I have good news about your parents. They evacuated together before the storm, and now they're in Nova Scotia together, which is only a few hours east of here. We've told them we'll get you to them as soon as we could."

"Why didn't you tell us sooner?" Muffy demanded.

"Yeah, we thought our parents were dead like everyone else's," Francine added with a dark tone despite her nasally voice.

Mr. Ratburn sighed, "I knew you would be angry with us, but think about it. If the others knew your parents were alive, they could turn on you. Now we have an excuse to get you back to them, your colds. Your life will still be as troubled. Millions are gone from this world, and you likely lost other families. But your friendship is a blessing. Without it, Francine's parents might not be alive."

The girls exchanged glances before asking the crucial question: "When do we leave?"

"The director is getting his van ready now. Pack your things, and I'll help you. We need you to leave as soon as possible," Mr. Ratburn said, picking up their bags as the girls moved slowly to begin their task. Mr. Ratburn nodded, "We'll tell the others you seemed too sick to stay around so many people. Miss Sweetwater and I will clean this cabin top to bottom to make it more realistic. No one ever has to know."

"Ever? But we'll all be home eventually," Francine said.

Mr. Ratburn wanted to correct her, tell her the truth about the way things were about to go. Slowly they were getting directions about where each child was to go: Binky had family in Arizona, Arthur's aunt and uncle were vacationing in Alaska and would pick him up on their way back home, Buster's father was in Europe and would retrieve him as soon as possible, and Brain would report to a Colorado refugee camp ASAP to be reunited with his mother, something he didn't know yet, but he soon would know where everyone was supposed to go.

He knew that people wouldn't be going back to their ravaged homes for quite some time, years maybe. People would make due as best as they could, but there was no magic spell that would right things. Lives were changed forever, and there was nothing any of them could do but cope.


	10. Chapter 10

CHAPTER TEN—EPILOGUE

Mr. Ratburn's prediction proved right. Within a month, kids gradually left the camp to meet their fates. In the end, eight were left with no family at all, but the camp decided they were in the best shape they could be, considering the circumstances. And because many of the adults had nowhere else to go, they would stay to take on the task of maintaining their lives.

It would take decades to do anything with the ravaged land, and many towns were left in their destroyed states for scientists to study, especially areas hit by powerful tornadoes. Two more tracts were discovered via satellite images that belonged to tornadoes strong enough to be rated an F6 by the old rating system, a terrifying prospect that had never happened before in documented history. The only good news was that this event was one in a billion, an impossibility for the future. Other systems would form like always, but none were strong enough to cause this much damage over again.

But areas stayed ravaged despite rebuilding projects covering the storm area. Kids grew up in refugee camps, some of them orphaned. Memorials were built by single remaining survivors, their entire families gone. Even more families lost everyone those fateful days, sometimes four to five generations at a time. The few that lived faced disease, hunger, and other problems to keep moving.

That was what everyone had to do, keep moving. People worked hard to do what they could to keep going. The Crosswire's and Frensky's would stay in their villa, for example, but they would leave often to help with various projects across many communities. They lived luxuriously compared to others, but people were interested in them, some of the few to escape their community when the storm came. People were interested in anyone who could survive, no matter how they did it. The survival stories were sought out by government workers and published into a database, a memorial for both those lost and those who remained. No one would ever forget this horrid, long-lasting chapter of history.

~End

A/N: For my new Disasters series. This started as a hand-written one-shot that ended much more…what's the right word?...dark. It was way darker. So I decided to take the idea of a superstorm and make it into this. I moved the kids to camp to keep them out of danger, but everyone was still affected. I like how this turned out, and I'm eager to move on to my next Disasters project.

If anyone has ideas, feel free to let me know. I'm always looking for new directions.


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